


Late Night Talks

by translevi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drabble, Fluff, Gratuitous homosexuality, Light Angst, Living Together, M/M, Memories, Past Lives, Smoking, Trans Male Character, auruo and levi are trans but thats not really relevent to the story, every time i have to type oluo for the tags i feel like im lying to myself
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2016-06-08
Packaged: 2018-07-13 20:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7136495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/translevi/pseuds/translevi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He decides then that no, nothing will be the same, ‘same’ was a door that was closed to them the second Auruo started screaming bloody murder in his sleep.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late Night Talks

**Author's Note:**

> do i need to stop writing so much leviruo?? most likely  
> am i going to stop??? no. not likely

It’s cold outside that night, stars glowing faintly above them as they headed up onto the roof of their shitty apartment building at 3 am. Even the normally bustling city was quiet as they climbed up the rusted metal staircase from the last lived-on floor to the windy cement of the roof-top. 3 am was never a good time to be alone with someone, especially not a friend as you were prone to having deep emotional conversations neither of you were prepared for. But, Auruo had never been known for his excellent decision making progress, which is how he found himself sitting and dangling his legs over the edge of the 10 story building with Levi at his side.

 

Levi looked exhausted-although that was normal for him-and Auruo had a feeling he’d look the same after tonight. Levi adjusts to the fact that they’re about one strong wind away from being blown over the side as easily as he adjusts to anything else in live, swinging his legs slightly and reaching into his pocket to pull out his box of cigarettes. Eyeing the box, Auruo reached for his jacket pocket to pull out his own box, grabbing one and sticking the end in his mouth before shoving the box back in his pocket to grab his lighter.

 

Levi is the first to break their silence with a hissed “Fuck,” under his breath, glaring down at his pockets as if that will somehow fix whatever problem that had presented itself. “I forgot my lighter.” Auruo slowly nods, looking down at the see-through lighter in his hand that showed the liquid sloshing inside whenever he moved it. Cupping his hand around the end of his cigarette he sparked the lighter a couple times, eventually getting it to hold in the wind before lighting his cigarette and reaching over to do the same for Levi’s.

 

He gets a just barely audible “Thanks,” in return before Levi is sucking in as much of the cigarette as he can without choking himself, holding it for just a couple seconds before blowing it out again. Auruo copies the motion, looking down at the empty streets below them, watching the streetlights change under them.

 

They don’t talk again for around 15 or so minutes, Auruo stopped counting after 5, just breathing through the smoke together. Neither of them forgot the reason they were up here, sitting together close enough for their legs and arms to brush against each other when they moved. They still have to come to terms with it, looking anywhere but at each other. Auruo’s eyes trained firmly on the ground below them, with Levi’s gaze turned upwards towards the sky.

 

“What do you…” Levi’s voice is quiet, quieter than Auruo’s ever heard it possibly, but he can hear it startlingly clear through the silence of the night. They’re going to have to talk about this, looks like now is the time. Levi slowly tore his eyes away from the stars, finally turning to look at Auruo for the first time since they climbed up here. “What all do you remember?”

 

Auruo pulls the cigarette away from his mouth, holding it over the ledge. If Levi notices his hands shaking he doesn’t say anything about it. “I remember you and-- Petra and Erd and Gunther… Comma-- Erwin. I remember Erwin and M-Mike and even Hanji and other people I can’t remember the fuckin’ name of.” He swears when he’s nervous or anxious and it’s coming out more obviously the more he remembers of _that time._

“Those fuckin’ things those… Shit, what-”

 

 “Titans.” Levi cuts him off, eyes never leaving his face, staring with the same intensity he’s always had.

 

“The titans you were-- I-- Th’ strongest… you were the strongest, us four we were part of your squad you picked us and you, my first mission outside the walls you came outta nowhere n’ saved me and then did it again years later.” He’s stumbling over his words, slurring and stuttering, yanking his cigarette up to his lips to breathe in deeply and quickly, choking in the smoke. “They ate people why… why did those things- the titans why did they eat people?”

 

“I don’t know…” Levi replies, looking away from Auruo to stare upwards again, reaching up to push his bangs back in place from where the wind had tousled them. “If we ever found out I don’t remember why.”

 

Auruo nods, glancing towards Levi briefly before looking back down at the streets, watching the lone card stop at the light before pulling away when it turned green. “I remember that one titan, the female one, she… she killed all of us.” He had been trying for years to pass that off as a dream, as some terrifying nightmare spread from watching too many horror movies. But Levi remembers, he remembers just as much if not more than Auruo does. Which means it’s not a dream, It’s not even a nightmare, it’s a reality, a memory. And that terrifies him.

 

The words catch in his throat, fingers faltering on his own cigarette as he spares a glance in Auruo’s direction, turning down to stare at the streets below with him. The silence takes them again, any other sound fading to a dull background noise focused entirely on each other. “I’m sorry.” It burns inside of his throat, threatening to consume him entirely in a blaze he can’t control. “I wasn’t there.”

 

Auruo stills beside him, staring at him while the other looks away as Levi had done minutes before. What does this mean for them? Can it be the same as it was before they shared this moment? What is he supposed to do, how is he supposed to treat him. This man… his hero, his captain, his friend...

 

He decides then that no, nothing will be the same, ‘same’ was a door that was closed to them the second Auruo started screaming bloody murder in his sleep. ‘Same’ was a door that had been slammed in his face and locked when Levi had climbed on top of him and yelled at him until he woke up, staring up at the man on top of him with panicked hazel eyes. ‘Same’ was a door that had been, slammed, locked, and then destroyed as he came back down from his adrenaline rush. Auruo had furrowed his brow, eyes tinting with confusion as he stared up at Levi and whispered “Captain?” with a hoarse, rough voice that had ripped Levi apart in ways he hadn’t even known possible.

 

Things were going to be different, but that didn’t mean it would be bad or good, just that it wouldn’t be the same. Auruo can work with that, taking a deep breath to finish off his cigarette he puts it out on the rooftop beside him. “Wasn’t your fault, baby.”

 

It’s Levi’s turn to freeze beside him, breath hitching in his throat as he turns to meet Auruo’s gaze evenly. Auruo had been calling him baby since they met in this life, all too eager to press up against his side with a wide grin on his face, talking his ear off the second he was close enough to. If Auruo was still calling him baby now, with the knowledge of what they had been, what they could be, maybe it’s okay.

 

“Yeah?” Levi breaths, letting his cigarette hang loosely in his fingers, licking his wind chapped lips.

 

“Yeah.” Auruo replies, gaze straying to Levi’s lips for just a second before pulling back up.

 

It’s peacefully quiet for a grand total of 3 seconds before Levi mutters, “I feel like I’m in some fucking cheesy John Green book.” and Auruo throws his head back and _laughs_ and Levi joins in.

 

After they’ve both quieted down, Auruo still grinning and Levi pressing his lips into a thin smile. Auruo’s grin turns cheeky as he reaches over and plucks the still-lit cigarette out of Levi’s hand,  taking one last drag before putting it out beside his own. “You shouldn’t smoke, Lev, it’s bad for your lungs.”

 

“You’re one to fucking talk, Bossard.”

 

Scooting back from the ledge, Auruo pushes himself up to his feet, reaching down to offer Levi his hand. He takes it willingly, allowing Auruo to pull him up and guide him back downstairs to their apartment. If he feels the way Auruo’s hand trembles from where their fingers are woven together he doesn’t mention it. He doesn’t pull his hand away either.


End file.
